Top CEO tours over 100 brokerages

The CEO of a recently rebranded premium funder says he visited over 100 brokerages in his first 100 days on the job, in an effort to truly understand what brokers and clients really want.

Industry veteran Raj Nanra joined IQumulate towards the end of 2018, leaving his executive position at Zurich to lead the firm, which was previously known as Macquarie Pacific Funding.

“The good thing for me was that I had dealt with most of these brokers in my prior life at Zurich, so it wasn’t really about going around explaining who I am,” said Nanra. “It was more about reconnecting and reconfirming my commitment as an individual and also IQumulate’s commitment to a broker-only distribution channel for our product.”

Having almost 30 years’ experience under his belt, most recently as Zurich’s CEO of general insurance, Nanra said he knows the weight brokers give to genuine relationships.

“We often talk about technology and insurtechs and all the development we’re seeing in insurance hubs but, at the end of the day, face-to-face time with brokers is a must because it builds trust and forges a connection,” he said.

Nanra also says making the effort to visit brokerages – whether they’re in the centre of the city or a couple of hours further out – gave him the opportunity to get some real feedback.

“It wanted to hear what they really thought of IQulumate and our product,” said Nanra. “Brokers who know me know that I like to listen, we’ll have some debate and come up against some challenges – but that’s how we get better outcomes in the end.”

This hands-on approach, he says, will hopefully show brokers that he’s eager to be an involved CEO and that IQumulate is keen to offer more tailored services, rather than a cookie cutter solution.

“I don’t want anyone to think I’m sat up in some imaginary ivory tower, unwilling to go out,” he said.